Operators use flow meters to gather valuable information to calculate quantities of water being applied to their fields.

Ultrasonic flow meters are portable flow meters that can be used to measure the water flow of your irrigation system simply by clamping onto the outside of the pipe.  This type of flow meter can be used to determine how much water your well is pumping, how much water is actually getting to your irrigation system, how much water is being applied to your field, how much water is being lost from leaky gates & gaskets, and it can also be used to check the accuracy of your permanently installed flow meter.

If you wish to request an ultrasonic flow meter measurement, you can contact Curtis Scheele at 308-995-6121, Ext. 3 or Nolan Little at 308-995-6688 to schedule an appointment.

Flow measurements can also be done with permanently installed flow meters.  There are many of these on the  market.  Installation must be completed according to the manufacturer specifications where accuracy is within + or – 2%.

The Tri-Basin NRD offers cost-share for permanently installed flow meters under the NSWCP cost-share program.  Cost-shared flow meters are required to read in acre-inches and must have a non-resettable totalizer.

For more information about irrigation flow meters or cost-share assistance, contact the Tri-Basin NRD at 1-877-995-6688 or tribasin@tribasinnrd.org.